New York, 24 September 2026: Shama Obaed Islam, MP, State Minister for Foreign Affairs represented Bangladesh at the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Focal Points Network held today at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The meeting, convened by the Philippines, Italy and UN Women on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, marked 25 years of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on WPS and focused on strengthening its implementation and accountability.
Recalling Bangladesh’s pioneering role in supporting Resolution 1325 as an elected Security Council member in 2000, the State Minister reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to women’s meaningful participation in decision-making. She called for stronger women-led early warning and mediation, greater participation of women in peace processes, integration of WPS into climate and humanitarian action and stronger accountability for violations against women.
State Minister Shama Obaed highlighted ongoing efforts to develop Bangladesh’s second WPS National Action Plan. She also presented the Dhaka Dialogue, a Bangladesh-led initiative addressing digital harassment and AI-enabled abuse against women, and invited Member States to join its forthcoming Group of Friends.
The meeting brought together Ministers and senior representatives from different countries to strengthen implementation of the UN WPS agenda and advance women’s leadership in peace and security.